Beitrag zur Charakterisierung und Identifizierung organischer Stoffe niederer molarer Massen in biologischen Kläranlagenabläufen

Contribution to the characterization and identification of low molecular weight organic substances in biologically treated effluent. In a review it is shown that by determination of sum parameters only 25% of low molecular weight substances <1000 Dalton in biologically treated effluent can be divided into different classes of compounds. A method is described to separate the low molecular weight compounds (freeze concentration, electrodialysis, vacuum evaporation, freeze drying) in order to identify single compounds. In a first GC-MS analysis 87 compounds, among them a high proportion of substances with hetero atoms, could be identified. Their concentrations lie between 0,1 and 3 μg/1. Only 3% of the low molecular weight fraction related to the DOC value is covered by the identified substances. Therefore it can be assumed, that a broad variety of low molecular weight compounds in very low concentrations is present in the effluent of biological treatment plants.     

Nachweis von Industriechemikalien (HPS,BPS und SPS) im Oberflächenwasser

Occurrence of Industrial Chemicals (HPS, BPS, and SPS) in Surface Water The paper gives the results of water examinations for different phenylsulfonamides. Random samples taken every month between May 1999 and August 2000 from surface water out of the river Rhine (kilometer 838), the river Ruhr (Mülheim Styrum) and the river Emscher (Oberhausen center) were tested for the corrosion inhibiting agent 6‐[methyl(phenylsulfonyl)amino]‐hexanoic acid (HPS) as well as its metabolites 4‐[methyl‐(phenylsulfonyl)amino]‐butanoic acid (BPS) and sarkosin‐N‐(phenylsulfonyl) (SPS). Furthermore, the sewage plant effluents of two municipal wastewater treatment plants from the rural area were also included in the monitoring program. The analytical method includes solid‐phase extraction (SPE), a derivatization step as well as gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). SPS is regularly found in all investigated surface waters, but only occasionally in the effluents of the two rural sewage plants. The median values for SPS amount to 0.09 μg/L in the river Rhine, 0.60 μg/L in the river Ruhr, and 0.70 μg/L in the river Emscher. BPS can only be found in the river Ruhr (median value: 0.08 μg/L) and in the river Emscher (median value: 0.41 μg/L). HPS was regularly found in a surface water for the first time. This substance can be detected in the Emscher through the whole measurement period. The median value for HPS amounts to 1.78 μg/L. Aditionally, the validation characteristics of an alternative analytical method including solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) is worked out. The fully automated process includes an on‐fiber methylation step and the GC‐MS. The repeatability standard deviation of the process amounts to RSD < 12%. Detection limits between 0.07 and 0.70 μg/L are achieved.     

Endocrine Disrupters in the Aquatic Environment: An Overview

Although a relatively new area of environmental research, the field of endocrine disruption has grown very rapidly, and currently many hundreds, perhaps even a few thousand, papers are published annually on the many different aspects covered by the field. As far as endocrine disruption in wildlife is concerned, most attention has been focused on aquatic organisms, for two reasons. Firstly, the aquatic environment receives most of the pollutants intentionally released into the environment, through effluents from wastewater treatment plants, and secondly because many of the best documented examples of endocrine disruption in wildlife are of partially or completely aquatic species. These two reasons are probably not unconnected, of course. Hence, aquatic organisms can receive continuous exposure to endocrine‐disrupting chemicals throughout their lives, albeit usually to low concentrations of these chemicals. Analysis of effluents has identified many of the endocrine‐disrupting chemicals present, and shown that these are both natural and man‐made, and vary greatly in potency. Most attention has been directed to identifying the main estrogenic chemicals, because many of the effects reported in wildlife appear to be a consequence of ‘feminization’ of males. However, chemical analysis of effluents has also demonstrated that chemicals with other types of endocrine activity are present, such as androgens, anti‐androgens, progestagens, etc. The effects (if any, of course) of such chemicals on aquatic organisms are unknown, and largely uninvestigated, presently. Much of the biological research has centred on the effects of estrogenic chemicals, especially to fish. These effects, such as elevated vitellogenin concentrations and intersexuality, have to date been studied almost exclusively at the level of the individual, and hence whether endocrine‐disrupting chemicals cause population‐level consequences is largely unknown (the undeniable effects of TBT on molluscs, leading to local extinctions, being the exception). It is my opinion that rather too much of the recent research has not advanced our understanding of endocrine disruption a great deal, and we are probably not much further forward now than we were five years or so ago. It is surely time to tackle some of the outstanding, unresolved issues, such as the impact of endocrine disruption at the population level, and the issue of how organisms respond when exposed to complex mixtures of endocrine active chemicals. Such research will not be easy, and will require multidisciplinary teams, including people with expertise in areas not yet involved in the field of endocrine disruption, such as mathematical modellers. However, until such research is done, it will not be possible to decide how important an issue endocrine disruption is to wildlife, and how that importance compares to the other factors adversely affecting wildlife, such as habitat loss, climate change, and the introduction of exotic species and novel diseases.     

Application of UV Spectrophotometry to the Study of Treated Wastewater Discharges in Rivers

Ultra-violet Spectrophotometry has been used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of water and wastewater in conjunction with appropriate signals and a deconvolution method. Application of this procedure with the use of a portable UV spectrophotometer was carried out to study treated wastewater discharge into a river. The data obtained were used to estimate dilution factors of polluted waters at different points of sampling. This simple and rapid methodology can be easily transposed with any PC-controlled UV spectrophotometer including a multicomponent routine.     

Identifizierung von Stickstoffverbindungen niederer molarer Masse in Abläufen einer kommunalen Kläranlage mit biologischer Reinigungsstufe

Identification of Nitrogen-containing Compounds of Low Molecular Weight in Effluents of Biologically Treated Municipal Wastewater Enriching methods based on reversed phases were developed for the investigation of low-molecular compounds containing nitrogen in municipal wastewater effluent. The enriched mixtures were treated gas chromatographically without derivatization under different conditions. By application of the PBM-algorithm to the GC/MS spectra of the enriched samples (concentration factor 1000...20000), 133 nitrogen-containing compounds could be identified with a probability of occurence of at least 30% put out. Seventeen of these compounds were identified with > 90% probability and another ten with 80...90% probability. 9-Methylacridine was found in nine of ten processed samples investigated. The nitrogen content of the 133 identified compounds was estimated at about 20% of the low-molecular fraction of DON (dissolved organic nitrogen).